Monday, November 23, 2009

Marduk 'n Co. Change Venues for Dec. 4 Show in L.A.

Marduk express their delight at the new venue for their Dec. 4th show in L.A.

Changes are afoot in Los Angeles. As reported here, here and here, venues typically kind to metal are folding at an alarming rate. The Knitting Factory shut its doors this Halloween. The Black Castle will have its last show in January. The Relax Bar's booking has stalled to a trickle, and the fate of the Key Club hangs in the balance. With the weekly Metal Mondays at Footsies on an apparent hiatus, L.A. metalheads are left rudderless, without a regular venue for their mournful congregation. Is this really a downstream effect of the economic downturn, as some have suggested? Or is it divine retribution for L.A.'s fickle support of our local metal scene?

Credit Church of the 8th Day for trying to bail us out. The tireless booking/promotion firm is scrambling to reschedule all the shows it had previously booked elsewhere. Sound at the Heathenfest this past weekend was atrocious, but the new Ultra Violet Social Club venue was otherwise ideal -- great sight lines, plentiful outside space for smoking/gabbing, exposed wooden framing that gave the impression of being in the galley of a Viking warship. Very metal.

And what of the Plague Tour, which was set to invite Marduk (whose new album Wormwood is their best in ages), Nachtmystium, Black Anvil (reviewed here), Mantic Ritual and Merrimack to assault the Key Club on December 4th? Church of the 8th Day has moved that monstrous package to The Royal Hall, which previously hosted the Bestial Legion Fest. Quoth Church of the 8th Day's Jordan in a statement about the move:

The Key Club canceled the show about two weeks ago, leaving us just a few weeks to move it. Since we had two stages' worth of bands booked, it was near impossible to move the show to anywhere in Hollywood, at a reputable club, as everything was already booked. We found a place downtown, which is a banquet hall, and we are going to build it into a venue from the ground up, with two full stages and great sound, full bar, and a BBQ...If you purchased tickets through one of the local bands, your tickets will still be valid at the new venue. If you purchased your tickets through Ticketmaster, you should be receiving your refund any day. The Key Club said they will be issuing refunds, but they haven't been responding to us about the progress of it, so if you'd like to call and find out, go ahead. You can now purchase tickets exclusively through our new ticketing website, 8thDayTix.com. We're sorry about the confusion, and hope to see everyone there. More information can be found at churchofthe8thday.com.

The Royal Hall is at 8637 S. Alameda Street, Los Angeles, CA 90002. Parking is provided through the “Steel and Lube” entrance. Which is also very metal.

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